KPN’s telephones in busy booths are coin-operated again

First at Schiphol Airport

AMSTERDAM - Travellers arriving at Schiphol Airport and wanting to contact loved ones immediately by phone no longer have to worry about pay phones only accepting phone cards or credit cards. The public phones of operator KPN (PTT) now accept coins again, provided the traveller feeds them with euro coinage.

KPN currently is overhauling some 4,400 public telephones throughout the country to make half of them accept coins again. As a safety measure ten years ago, many of the highly frequented public phones were switched over to just accept prepaid cards and such, to combat break-in and vandalism. The new phones in public places are far more secure and theft proof.

Other sites where public phones now will accept coins are located at popular tourist centres and attractions and near buildings temporarily housing people seeking asylum or refugee status.